Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17
RAYMOND'S TRAITS.
his rRrKSps TALKING OF DIS raac.
gIc&L JOKES.
Little Episodes In His Life Of Which
They Did Net Tire Of
Telling.

been one OF the chief topics OF CONVEX
eaiion in theatrical circles this week.
At the Gilscy, the Hoffman, the Union
Square, the Morton. and all other
places where the profession are wont
TO congregste, there has been con.
stantly repeated over the lcmousdes
and the punches, in the little knots
around each table, the name OF one OF
the best known Of American comedians.
Every actor has had spray OF green
to tender to bis dead brother, but it was
spray from the garden OF memory, OF
iris rather than cypress, from tree
that had been tended by friendship and
wstered by merry sympathy through
long years of professional life. Every
one of them has had some story 10 tell
aud has told IL, and the honest sadness
over his departure and that faint far
svay guest of ominous bearing that
came oimly into view with the words,
"Anofher one of us gone, was n back
pround for the stories that made merrl-
ment something Of relief.
RAYMOND and l dressed for FIVE
years in the same room" said Harry
Edwards. at was in the California
Theatre stock company in San Francis
co. Joking was not entirely an amuse-
ment with John. It was passion.
Such hiAes as finding your shoes nailed
10 the floor when in hurry, your
boots filed with vermilion, or your wig
grotesquely queered were always to be
expected. Bnt / will never forget, !"
and he began to laugh at the memory,
zone matinee when We were playing
with poor Ned Adams in piece called
the The Clairvoyant.'
Mccullough was the villain of the
piece. In the lastact there was scene
in which his victims appeared before
him. Raymond, Julia Corcoran, some
body else, and myself we're the victims.
We were all in line on a platform. A
second before we came into view Ray
mond came out of his dressing room,
turned our wigs hind.side before and
tipped them over on one side, and then
took his place. He had turned his wig
inside out, painted his nose fiery red,
put on bell-crowned hat instead Of a
cockade, and stood there with his most
serious expression, pointing both hands
instead of one at Mccullough. You
never saw such a row of guys in your
life. The audience first roared, then
Kissed. and then got indignant, and we
left the act as il was and rang down.
Mccullough was absolutely afraid
OF him at times. Raymond could do
the most grotesgue things and never
crack q smile-look like a mute at
funeral all the time. One night in
Virginia he was playing Poiydor to Nc
Cullough's lngomar, In the striking
scene where Ingomar directs the bar
barisns to seize Polydor Raymond
came around the front of the stage,
and, instead of dropping in front OF
Mccullough and clasping his hands,
be dropped, crawled between his legs,
crawled back, crawled through again,
dived back, and then circled around
him with the most piteohs look. Well,
Mccullough began TO laugh, the audi
ence began to laugh, and the curtain
went down amid universal roar.
Mccullough got back at him for
this, however They were playing to-
gether in Monte Cristo, at the Cali
fornis. Raymond was Caderousse, the
tavern-keepef, and Mccullough was
the Able. Before Mccullough came
on Raymond, instead of reciting his
lines, guyed him numerically.
"Ah = said he, Behold the Abs ;
the mighty Able the august Abs
the real, imported article in Abbss,
and don't you forget it, and so on, end
so on, winding up with the cue. Nc
Culloueh came on, they had their
scene, and the Able, in saying fare
well, lifted bis finger sternly and said :.
"'All / have TO say to you, John L.
Caderrousse, is this Try and be decent
il you can. Stop your tomfoolery and
pay little attention to your domestic
duties. If you viii cease staying out
of nights, bad company, and above all
that pernicious habit of matching, there
may be hope of you yet. Good morn
ing"
81 never think of Raymond without
also thinking of Matilda Heron" said
Mckee Rankin. '|Raymond and Soth-
ern years ago were running the st.
Johns Theatre. in New Brunswick.
They had engaged Matilda Heron, and,
as usual, they painted her name i'll large
letters on a transparency which they
had rugged up on an old lumber wagon.
Inside of it they put some musicians,
and for several hours each day it was
driven all over town with the musicians
footing like factory whistles. Wen,
Matilda arrived. John met her at the
station and, as they reached the hotel,
the old wagon came up the street.
"'Just in time, said John, rubbing
his hands and then waving TO the
driver, who pulled in to the sidewalk.
"What is it, Johnny 2 said she.
"'Cet right in, Matilda. It's all
right /
"'Ob, my God, Johnny, cannot
go in that said the poor woman.
"'Oh, why, nonsense, don't say
that, said the manager. Everybody |
does il. The people expect it. They |
want to see you. Won't have a soul in
the house if you don't.
"She heaved a sigh, prepared to
mount, while the musicians, staring in
CONSERVATION, made place for her on |
the board seat. But her courage failed |
her. She clasped her hands and almost
fell on her knees, saying
"'Please, Johnny, please do not |
make me / will do anything for you |
all my life
Raymond knitted his brow and
shook 10 head.
"Pon honor? he said finally.
"'Ob, swear it,
"He relented. Bnt all her life he
held the promise over her"
"Did you ever hear Raymond's an
swer to the English lady 2" asked
James j. Roche.
"No."
"well, he was over there" said
Roche, "playing Asa Trenchard III
'1he American Cousin. Meeting a
lady one day, she said
" 1t is funny, Mr.. Raymond, but
You never can hope to play the part as
Mr. Buxton did.
No. drawled Raymond, Il hope
not. You see, Madam, Buxton was
like CORVALLIS when he went over to
interview the Americans--he didn't
know anything about 'em. "
Like every other practical joker,
Raymond was not seldom made the